title: Application of Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis on the microflora of minced meat for classification according to Reg. (EC) 2073/2005.
abstract: In a retrospective study on the microbiology of minced meat from small food businesses supplying directly to the consumer, the relative contribution of meat supplier, meat species and outlet where meat was minced was assessed by "Classification and Regression Tree" (CART) analysis. Samples (n=888) originated from 129 outlets of a single supermarket chain. Sampling units were 4-5 packs (pork, beef, and mixed pork-beef). Total aerobic counts (TACs) were 5.3±1.0 log CFU/g. In 75.6% of samples, E. coli were <1 log CFU/g. The proportion of "unsatisfactory" sample sets [as defined in Reg. (EC) 2073/2005] were 31.3 and 4.5% for TAC and E. coli, respectively. For classification according to TACs, the outlet where meat was minced and the "meat supplier" were the most important predictors. For E. coli, "outlet" was the most important predictor, but the limit of detection of 1 log CFU/g was not discriminative enough to allow further conclusions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Meat Hygiene, Meat Technology and Food Science, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, Austria. peter.paulsen@vu-wien.ac.at
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Paulsen
authors.forename: F J M
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Smulders
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tichy
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Höck
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002417:Cattle; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005062:European Union; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods; D005513:Food Inspection / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005523:Food Supply / Q000191:economics; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D006088:Gram-Negative Aerobic Bacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008461:Meat Products / Q000145:classification* / Q000191:economics / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000592:standards; D008462:Meat-Packing Industry; D015233:Models, Statistical; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D058012:Small Business / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D034421:Sus scrofa